Wales defeat New Zealand 35-28 in Nations Championship
Wales secured a 35-28 win over New Zealand in the Nations Championship, their first victory against the All Blacks since 1953.
Wales beat New Zealand 35-28 in the Nations Championship, ending a winless streak against the All Blacks that dated back to 1953. The hosts built a 14-0 lead in the first ten minutes with tries from scrum-half Tomos Williams and hooker Dewi Lake, and added a third try from tighthead prop Archie Griffin before halftime. New Zealand responded with three tries – from scrum-half Cortez Ratima, No. 8 Wallace Sititi and wing Fehi Fineanganofo – to level the score at 21-21 at the break.
In the second half Wales regained the advantage, scoring converted tries by centre Eddie James and wing Louis Rees-Zammit to move ahead 35-21. An All Blacks try by Peter Lakai reduced the margin to seven points, but Wales held firm for the remainder of the match, repeatedly stopping New Zealand inside the 22-meter line.
Wales back row James Botham said the victory was driven by belief and the support of the crowd. Former Wales international Sam Warburton praised the team's resilience after a period of poor results. Wales will next play Australia on November 21, while New Zealand faces England later the same day.